DAMA · 13 agreements · Employer-sponsored
DAMA programs — thirteen agreements, and the region sets the rules
A Designated Area Migration Agreement lets employers in a defined region sponsor workers the standard programs will not reach. Every agreement has its own occupation list, its own concessions and its own representative. Almost nothing carries across from one to another.
What is DAMA?
It is a two-tier arrangement. The first tier is a five-year head agreement between the Australian Government and a region's Designated Area Representative. The second tier is an individual labour agreement between the Department and an endorsed employer, under the head agreement's terms. There are currently thirteen. An employer gets endorsed by the representative first, then requests the labour agreement, then nominates. A worker cannot apply independently.
Key facts
- Thirteen agreements, each with its own occupation list and concessions.
- Endorsement comes before the Department. The representative decides first.
- Three visas: the 482 and 494 provisional subclasses, and the 186 for permanent residence.
- Concessions attach to occupations, not to employers, and many occupations carry none.
- Endorsement fees vary widely, and several representatives charge nothing at all.
- An Industry Labour Agreement blocks a DAMA where it covers the industry.
- No points test, and no invitation round.
Which DAMA covers your region?
The region is fixed by where the position sits, not by where the business is registered. An office inside a designated area does not help if the role is performed outside it.
| Agreement | State | Designated Area Representative |
|---|---|---|
| Orana | NSW | RDA Orana, with partner RDAs across inland NSW |
| Far North Queensland | QLD | Cairns Chamber of Commerce |
| Townsville | QLD | Townsville Enterprise Limited |
| Goulburn Valley | VIC | Greater Shepparton City Council |
| Great South Coast | VIC | Warrnambool City Council |
| Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement | SA | Skilled and Business Migration |
| South Australia Regional | SA | Skilled and Business Migration |
| Northern Territory | NT | MigrationNT, Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations |
| Pilbara | WA | RDA Pilbara |
| East Kimberley | WA | East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
| The Goldfields | WA | City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder |
| South West | WA | Shire of Dardanup |
| Western Australia | WA | Department of Training and Workforce Development |
Three things this table settles
- Western Australia has five agreements, not one. The WA DAMA is a separate fifth agreement alongside Pilbara, East Kimberley, the Goldfields and the South West. It is not an umbrella over them. Where the operations sit in one of those four regions, check the regional agreement first.
- South Australia has two agreements and one process. The employer does not choose between them. The nominated occupation determines which applies. Read the South Australia DAMA page.
- Victoria has two agreements, run by two councils. The Victoria DAMA page routes an employer to the right one.
Queensland has only Far North Queensland and Townsville. There is no agreement covering Mackay, Rockhampton or central Queensland. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth metro are not covered by a regional agreement.
How does a DAMA work, step by step?
- EndorsementThe employer applies to the region's representative with the occupations, position numbers, concessions sought and recruitment evidence.
- Labour agreementUsing the letter of endorsement, the employer requests the agreement from the Department through ImmiAccount.
- Nominate, then applyThe employer nominates against an approved occupation. The worker then lodges the 482, 494 or 186.
Labour market testing is required, and most representatives want it current at endorsement and again at nomination. Endorsement does not oblige the Department to approve an agreement. In at least one agreement, neither decision carries review rights.
What an Industry Labour Agreement does to this
The Department states that a DAMA will not be endorsed where the industry is covered by an Industry Labour Agreement. Representatives put it at different widths. Some treat it as a flat bar on the occupation. Others allow the DAMA where the worker will be employed in a different industry to the one that agreement covers. Check this before building an endorsement case, not after.
What differs between the agreements?
Everything decisive. These are the settings to check on the agreement that applies, and never to carry across from another region.
| Setting | How it varies |
|---|---|
| Age | Commonly under 55, but several agreements drop to under 50 for skill level 5 occupations. At least one publishes a single limit with no skill-level split. |
| English | Set per occupation and per visa. Overall scores range from IELTS 4.5 to 5.0, with different band minimums. One agreement steps up sharply at the permanent stage. |
| Income threshold | Reductions to 85 or 90 per cent of the threshold. Two or three concession types, depending on the agreement, with different rules on non-monetary earnings. |
| Permanent residence | Two or three years on the 482 before a 186 nomination. In one agreement the period depends on when the employer was endorsed. |
| Work experience | Most agreements publish reduced work-experience requirements for some occupations. Check the occupation's row. |
| Occupation list | From roughly a hundred occupations to well over three hundred, including roles with no ANZSCO code at all. |
| Endorsement fee | Charged per position by most regional representatives. SA, NT and WA DAMA currently charge nothing. |
| Term | South West closes to new applications on 30 October 2026 and expires on 14 December 2026. The Goldfields agreement runs to 31 December 2026. |
What we see in practice
Two mistakes cost the most time. The first is reading one region's settings onto another. An age limit or a permanent residence period from a neighbouring agreement is not a guide. It is a guess. The second is starting from the occupation instead of the location. Settle where the position physically sits, find the agreement covering it, then read that agreement's row for the occupation. Working the other way round produces plans that collapse at the endorsement stage.
Visa Pathways Under DAMA
| Visa | Duration | PR Pathway | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 482 – Skills in Demand | Up to 4 years | 186 after the qualifying period the agreement sets | Concessions by occupation |
| Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional | Up to 5 years | 191 after 3 years, with no employer nomination | Long-term regional settlement |
| Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme | Permanent | Direct PR (labour agreement stream) | Employer-sponsored, no points test |
The 482 to 186 qualifying period is set by the individual agreement. Confirm it against the agreement that applies rather than assuming a figure from elsewhere.
What does a DAMA cost?
Four cost layers, and only the first varies by region.
- The representative's endorsement fee. Set independently by each representative, usually per position, and sometimes with a lower rate after the first few. Several charge nothing. We do not print the figures here. They change, and publishing a stale one is worse than publishing none. Each region's page links its own representative.
- The Department's nomination charge, paid by the employer.
- The Skilling Australians Fund levy, paid by the employer.
- The visa application charge, paid by the applicant and indexed every 1 July.
Skills verification is a further cost where the occupation requires it, charged by the assessing authority. Some representatives assess certain occupations themselves at no charge. Professional fees are quoted in writing after a consultation.
Family Members You Can Include
- Spouse or de facto partner: full work rights in Australia.
- Dependent children under 18: study rights, and Medicare on the permanent visas.
- Older dependants: may qualify if financially dependent.
Family must be declared at application stage or added later as subsequent entrants. On the 494 the family carries the regional condition as well.
Free download
The DAMA Handbook — the 13 regional agreements, how they work
How a DAMA works end to end. The four stages, why the regional representative comes before the Department, and what an endorsement business case has to show. Includes the 482 to 186 and 494 to 191 routes and a directory of all 13 agreements.
PDF · 2026 edition · no cost · prepared by a MARA-registered agent
The DAMA Handbook
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Why choose a DAMA over other pathways?
- No points test. The route is employer-sponsored throughout, with no invitation round.
- Wider occupation lists. Semi-skilled roles appear that the skilled lists do not carry, and several agreements reach occupations with no ANZSCO code.
- Age concessions above the standard under-45 bar on the 494 and 186, where the occupation carries one.
- English and income concessions, again per occupation.
- Structured permanent residence, through the 186 or the 191.
The trade-off is that a DAMA is only available through an employer that has been endorsed and holds an agreement. Where the occupation sits on the skilled lists and the points are there, state nomination may be faster. It also does not depend on one employer.
Related visas and resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all DAMAs the same?
No. Each has its own occupation list, concessions, representative and fees. Age limits, English scores, income concessions and permanent residence periods all differ between agreements.
How many DAMAs are there?
Thirteen. Western Australia accounts for five of them and South Australia for two. The Department reviews the list, so confirm it before relying on the count.
Do I need a points test?
No. A DAMA visa is employer-sponsored, not points-based, and there is no invitation round.
Can I apply for a DAMA myself?
No. The employer applies for endorsement and holds the labour agreement. A worker needs a job offer from a business that is already endorsed.
Can I include my family?
Yes. A partner and dependent children can be included, with work rights for the partner and study rights for the children.
What are the PR pathways?
How much does DAMA endorsement cost?
It depends entirely on the region. Most representatives charge per position. Several charge nothing for endorsement. Check the current schedule on that representative's own page before budgeting.
Which DAMA applies to my business?
The one covering the area where the position is physically located. A registered office inside a designated area does not qualify a role performed somewhere else.
What if my occupation isn't listed?
You cannot be nominated under that agreement. Another region's list may carry it if the business operates there. The standard employer-sponsored programs and state nomination also remain open.
Is a DAMA available in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane?
No regional agreement covers those cities. One South Australian agreement covers metropolitan Adelaide. The Western Australia agreement reaches Perth metro, on different settings to regional WA.
Start with the location, then the occupation.
A free eligibility check confirms which agreement covers the position, and whether the role sits on that agreement's occupation list.
Visa Advisor is a MARA-registered visa agent in Sydney, NSW, working with regional employers across Australia on DAMA sponsorship. We advise sponsored workers too, Australia-wide and offshore.
Sources and last checked dates
- Department of Home Affairs — Designated Area Migration Agreements (the two-tier framework, the current list of thirteen agreements and their representatives, and the Industry Labour Agreement bar) page last updated 5 November 2025 · read in full 8 September 2026 open ↗
- RDA Orana — DAMA concessions and fees and charges (age split, English, income concession types, per-position endorsement fee) read in full 8 September 2026 open ↗
- MigrationNT — Concessions available and Fees and charges (the age split, English settings, the 85 per cent income concession, and no charge for endorsement) read in full 8 September 2026 open ↗
- Skilled and Business Migration South Australia — DAMA concessions and Employer/DAMA FAQs (the two agreements, three income concession types, the work-experience concession, and no endorsement fee) read in full 8 September 2026 open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — cost of sponsoring, including the Skilling Australians Fund levy linked from the Department's DAMA page · checked 8 September 2026 open ↗
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 2 clauses 482.24, 186.24 and 494.23 (Labour Agreement streams), Compilation No. 288, 1 July 2026 (F2026C00667) read 8 September 2026 open ↗
Occupation lists, concessions, endorsement fees and Commonwealth charges change during a programme year, and the income thresholds index every 1 July. The Department is also supporting a move to state and territory-led agreements, so the list itself can change. Confirm the current position with the relevant representative or the Department before acting on anything on this page.